She believed the shredder was once used by convict settlers who were known to have made wide-brimmed hats out of cabbage tree palm leaves.

“On first glance you’d have to think about what it’s used for, but once you know a little bit about the process of preparing the leaves for hat making, then it makes sense.”

Historical records from 1844 show the convicts sold their hats to other detainees and free settlers, an act that was prohibited by authorities.

“The government-issued hats were quite useless for protecting their heads and faces from the sun, so they improvised their own,” Dr Starr said.

Cross-cultural exchange

With long-held traditional production methods already in use, Ms Boylan said the women were initially hesitant to use the leaf shredder but they’re now seeing its benefits.”They are just finally picking up on it and enjoying using and finding that it’s speeding up their work,” she said.Most importantly, Ms Boylan is helping the women create a consistent range of products and achieve a fair pricing structure.When completed, the hats are sold domestically in the marketplaces of Luganville and Port Vila.”I think the Ni-Vans (Vanuatu nationals) and the tourist population like them too because it’s a ‘Made in Vanuatu’ product,” she said.One group of weavers received a large order to provide hats for the Pacific Games hosted in Vanuatu during 2017.Locally made goods have even attracted the eye of British royalty.

“Prince Charles was in Port Vila the other day and he bought one of the hats that was woven in Vanuatu for Camilla. So that’s exciting,” Ms Boylan said.

Economic empowerment

Returning to Sydney, Ms Boylan also distributes the hats to a shopfront retailer in the city centre.

She has since launched the brand Pacific Brim, a name which relates to her work with women from Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

The collaboration is a way of getting the regionally sourced, sustainable products to a wider market and increasing the profits that flow back to the women and their communities.

“It’s opening a pathway of trade for these women so they can get an understanding of the protocols of export and biosecurity and an order that’s more than just selling one hat,” she said.

“It’s taking them up to the next level to being participants in the formal economy.”

Ms Boylan said she hoped the women would one day independently take on the manufacturing, selling and distribution to reach an international market.

“I fully believe they have the capacity to be setting up their businesses, managing that and selling direct from Vanuatu.”